Rancher's Deadly Reunion

by Beth Cornelison

  Josh smirked and tipped his head toward his brother as if to say, Yeah. What he said.

  “Boys, don’t guilt-trip her. Being part of the family doesn’t come with strings attached,” their mother fussed. “Piper, dear, I know you love your life in Boston, and moving home to be part of the boys’ venture is a big decision. Don’t let them pressure you.”

  She nodded, then shook her head, not really knowing what she wanted to convey. Her hands were shaking, and her thoughts spun like a dust devil. “I have to think about it. I just don’t know...”

  “Can you give us an answer before you go home next week?” Josh asked.

  “Joshua, your mother just said not to pressure her.” Their dad arched an eyebrow at the twins. “You just hit her with this. Give her breathing room.”

  She flashed her dad a smile of thanks and fell silent again, thinking, stewing...and trying to suppress her body’s sensitivity to the man beside her. His every subtle movement or heavy breath, each side-glance or faint whiff of his scent managed to scatter her thoughts and throw all of her senses into a tizzy.

  Finally, she said, “I need more detail. How far have you gotten working out fees and expenses, insurance, construction, logistics? There’s a million little things that could trip you up if you don’t have a well-thought-out plan.”

  “I have to say,” Roy said quietly, “I agree with Piper.”

  Zane and Josh were nodding.

  “Of course,” Josh said. He launched into a deeper discussion of how the trips would be planned, how they would convert and upgrade the bunkhouse, and the contractors they’d talked to about rigging up a zip-line on the scenic property in the foothills of the Rockies that the family had inherited from the triplets’ grandfather. The adventure tours was the perfect use for the property that couldn’t be sold thanks to their grandfather’s wily will stipulations and bequests.

  Zane took over when questions turned to financing, liability and staffing.

  Piper had to admit, her brothers had given the idea a lot of thought, and their passion for the project was a vibrant, breathing presence in the room.

  “Wow,” Piper muttered, when Zane finished speaking and cast his glance around the room.

  “I’m proud of you, boys,” their father said. “You’ve put a lot of work in this, and I believe the idea has merit.”

  Melissa said nothing, but the shine in her eyes and the wide smile she gave her sons spoke plenty.

  Zane glanced toward the love seat. “Well, Piper?”

  “It’s a lot to consider, dork.” She gave him a wry grin. “Give me a chance to process.”

  “Any other questions?” Josh asked, shifting an expectant gaze from face to face.

  “Brady,” Zane said after a few beats, breaking the silence, “you haven’t said anything.”

  Brady grew still, then sitting forward and splaying his legs slightly, he propped his forearms on his thighs and pressed his fingertips against each other. His change of position meant his leg touched hers from knee to hip, and it took all her composure not to jerk away as if burned. But the heat of his body penetrated to her marrow and flowed deep into the dark spaces where she’d tried for years to lock away her memories of him, of young love and what could have been.

  “Not sure it’s my place to weigh in,” Brady replied, and the low rumble of his voice vibrated in her chest, in her soul.

  “We wouldn’t have asked you here if we didn’t value your opinion. You know ranching as well as anyone in the room, and you’ve gone rock climbing and rafting with us out at Grandpa’s property. We’re hoping you’ll be on our staff, help us get up and running.”

  She held her breath, waiting for Brady’s reply, thinking of what it would mean to live close to him again, see him daily, if she accepted her brothers’ request. The thumping in her chest that echoed like a drumbeat in her ears had to be loud enough for Brady to hear. She balled her hands in her lap and fought to calm her ragged nerves. She’d come so far in her healing, in making a fresh start for herself. Or so she’d thought.

  And now her brothers, whom she loved deeply and shared a special triplet bond with, wanted her to move back to Colorado. To be a part of a new and exciting project, part of saving the family ranch. To be included in a venture, a closely held dream for themselves and the family business. What would she have given in high school to have felt that kind of inclusion, to have believed she was as important to the ranch as her brothers?

  Brady lifted a shoulder and said simply, “I like it. I’m behind you whatever you decide.”

  “Great! Thanks, man,” Zane said while Josh beamed with relief. “Maybe you could help us persuade Piper, then?”

  She shot a glare toward Zane that went ignored.

  Brady turned his face to study her profile, and a prickly flush started on her neck and crept to her cheeks, sinking to her soul.

  When he spoke, his voice was hushed, tinged with a note of sadness that arrowed to her heart. “I’m not sure I have any influence with her anymore. Can’t say I ever really did, truth be told.”

  She met his piercing green gaze, and a fist of regret and grief clamped around her throat. “That’s not true,” she whispered for only him to hear.

  “You sure about that?” he said, his voice pitched low to match hers. “I remember things differently.”

  She drew and expelled a ragged breath. “This isn’t the time or place.”

  “I agree.”

  She tore her gaze away from his, masking her hurt and discomfort from her family with a trembling half smile and lift of her chin.

  Brady was undeterred, whispering, “But since you seem to want to avoid me, we’ve never had another opportunity.”

  “Stop,” she growled under her breath.

  He heaved a weary sigh, and his shoulders slumped as he dropped his focus to his boots. “Later then.”

  Later? No. Not if she could help it. She was so tempted to get back on a plane and flee the ranch for the safety of Boston, the safety of distance from Brady. But she’d come for her parents’ anniversary celebration, and she refused to leave before the weekend party. Standing up her parents, disappointing them was unthinkable.

  The awkward expressions her family wore told her the exchange with Brady had not gone unnoted. Josh scratched his chin and rolled his eyes, while Zane clapped his hands together once and said, “Well, that’s the plan. Any other ideas or questions before we call it a night?”

  Roy rose from his seat and jammed his hands in his back pockets. “If you guys want me to take a look at that business plan with you, especially as it relates to the activities happening on the ranch premises, the bunkhouse renovation and so forth, give me a holler. I’m glad to help where I can.”

  Josh stepped forward to shake Roy’s hand. “Thanks. We appreciate that.”

  Piper’s mother and father also stood and approached the twins, and Brady used the moment to lean closer, his breath warm against her ear. “We need to talk.”

  Piper shoved to her feet and sent him a quelling glare. “No, we don’t.” Then softening her tone and digging for a tight smile, she added, “Thanks again for getting me at the airport today. Tell Connor I said good night.”

  “Piper—” He reached for her hand, and she jolted at the warm scrape of his callused palm closing around her fingers.

  “Good night, Brady,” she said firmly, although she heard the telltale crack in her tone. Pulling free of his grasp, she clutched her now-tingling hand to her chest and rushed from the den.

  Her brothers had given her so much to consider, possibilities that she’d once longed for with her whole heart. If she’d felt she had a place here at the ranch after high school, would she have followed the same path, made the same choices she had back then?

  Regret was a bitter pill, and she knew second-guessing herself served no purpose. For seven years she�
��d dealt with the hard choices she’d made. She’d not looked back. Yet in only a few hours of being back at her family’s ranch this trip, her world had been upended. She couldn’t deny a part of her longed to move back to the Double M. What a cherished honor it would be to take an active role in saving the ranch, her family legacy.

  But was she strong enough to have Brady in her life again? Leaving him in the past had been hard enough. The past needed to stay buried. Because if Brady became a regular part of her life again, the walls she’d built to protect her heart would come crumbling down.

  * * *

  From his position at the top of a ridge, Ken squinted through his telephoto lens and brought the Double M Ranch buildings into focus. Figuring out which one was the main house, where Piper would be staying, was easy enough. The main house was the biggest building and had a long front porch with rocking chairs, a river-rock chimney and large windows that glowed with warm golden light. Through process of elimination, he would figure out soon enough which window was Piper’s bedroom.

  As he studied the house, two men emerged through the front door and shuffled across the ranch yard toward a house nearer the stables. Several dogs yipped and raced around, following the men.

  Damn it! The presence of dogs meant he’d have to be extra careful when he approached the buildings. Dogs were living security alarms. From his vantage point, one appeared to be a yellow Labrador retriever, and the other two were medium-sized black-and-white dogs with big pointy ears. Ken lowered the lens for a minute, thinking. What were those dogs called? Shepherds? No, blue heelers. Smart dogs, he’d heard. Sighing his frustration, he made a note on his pad to figure the mutts into the equation, then raised the high-powered lens again, snapping pictures.

  Zooming in on the faces of the cowboys, he discovered one was older, maybe fifty or sixty years, and the other was the guy that had driven Piper from the airport that afternoon. The guy who’d been too familiar with her, held her too long when she’d stumbled, watched her too closely when she hadn’t known he was looking. But Ken had seen it all, and he didn’t need a crystal ball to know this guy meant trouble. The younger cowboy with too much interest in Piper had to be dealt with.

  Ken clenched his teeth and lowered the camera with the powerful lens. Piper belonged to him, and if anyone or anything posed a threat to the future he had planned for them, Ken swore that threat would be eliminated.

  Chapter 4

  Early the next morning, Piper headed to the stable to visit her favorite mare, Hazel. Her freshman year of high school, Piper had been with Hazel’s mother for the late-night delivery of the dapple-gray filly, and Piper had bonded quickly with the new addition to the stable. She hoped that a brisk ride out on the ranch property would help clear her head and give her the perspective she needed while weighing the choices her brothers had laid at her feet the night before. Ace and Checkers raced out to greet her, barking and wagging their tails. A third dog, a yellow Lab that she didn’t know, trotted up as well and put her massive paws on Piper’s chest, seeking attention.

  She pushed the dog’s feet to the ground but bent to rub her soft ears. “Good morning to you, too. Ace, Checkers, who’s your friend?”

  “Ruff!” Ace’s body wiggled as much as his tail did as he circled her feet, waiting impatiently for his turn to get patted. Once each canine had been acknowledged, Piper continued to the stable, a lift in her spirits thanks to the unconditional affection and exuberance of the dogs.

  Male voices greeted her as she stepped into the dimly lit stable, and she paused by the door, listening for a moment. She recognized Roy’s husky voice, followed by a young one that had to be Connor’s.

  “Like that?” Connor asked.

  “Not quite so much. Remember we don’t want him to overeat. It could make him sick.”

  “And fat!”

  As she followed the exchange between the grandfather and grandson, Piper grinned and picked out a bit and reins from the ones hanging on the wall by the main alley door.

  “Well, yeah. That, too. But colic is the main thing we gotta watch out for.”

  “When he can’t poop?”

  “That’s right.”

  Connor chuckled, and Roy said, “Hey now. Colic ain’t no laughing matter, Con. I’ve seen horses die from it.”

  She’d started down the row of stalls, stroking the nose of any horse that had poked its head out to greet her, when a third voice joined the first two.

  “About time for you to head to the bus, buddy. Don’t want to be late for school.” Brady.

  “Aw, man!” the boy whined.

  She stopped in her tracks, suddenly glad she hadn’t announced her presence. Maybe she could turn and quietly sneak back out...

  “Hey, Piper!” Connor called down the alley.

  She scrunched her face in defeat, then putting on a warm smile of greeting, she turned to face the little boy whose small boots thumped as he trotted down the center aisle to her. “Hey yourself, Connor. How are you?”

  He hurried up to her, his eyes bright with excitement. “Grampa and I were feeding the horses, but I gotta go to school.”

  “Oh, bummer.” She patted his back when he gave her waist a hug.

  The yellow Lab nuzzled Connor’s hand, and he scratched the dog’s ears.

  In her peripheral vision, she saw Brady step out of one of the stalls and move toward them. She tensed but kept her smile in place for Connor. “When I was your age, I always wanted to stay with the horses instead of going to school, too. Especially on a pretty day like today! In fact, I was just about to go for a ride.”

  Connor peered up at her and nodded, then whirled to face Brady, who was making his way up the alley. “Brady, can I pretty please stay home today?”

  Brady grunted and sent her a hooded look. “Sorry, buddy. Not this time. Go grab your backpack.”

  “But I wanna ride with Piper!”

  She squatted in front of Connor and tugged his earlobe. “How about a rain check? We could ride together tonight.” When he continued to frown, she added, “School’s important, and you don’t want to miss the bus.”

  “You promise tonight?” the little boy asked with an adorable wrinkle of his nose.

  “It’s a date.” She shook his hand and pushed back to her feet.

  Brady reached them and nodded a greeting to her. “Mornin’.”

  “Hi.” She felt her breath leave her as she drank in the sight of his tall, lean body and broad shoulders. His faded blue jeans had always had a way of fitting his hips and hugging his thighs that teased her imagination, and today he wore his flannel shirt like a jacket over a dark blue T-shirt. The long sleeves were folded up at the wrists, and he glanced at the silver-toned watch he wore.

  “Five minutes, Connor. Scoot.” Putting a firm hand on Connor’s shoulder, he guided his nephew toward the door.

  “Come on, Kip!” Connor called as he and Brady headed out with the yellow Lab at their heels.

  As they disappeared out to the ranch yard, she heard the scuff of boots as Roy approached. She faced their foreman with a grin. “Good morning, Roy. That’s quite the little helper you’ve got there.”

  “He’s learning. Make a fine hand one day.”

  She tugged her grin to the side. “Or foreman?”

  He removed his hat long enough to comb his fingers through his thinning brown hair before resettling it. “Hey, now. I ain’t in the grave yet. I plan on workin’ as long as this old body will let me rope and ride.”

  She placed a hand on his arm and a kiss on his cheek. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She glanced toward the end of the row of stalls. “I was hoping to go out for a while on Hazel. Has she been fed?”

  “Yup. Need a hand saddling her up?”

  “Thanks, but I think I can remember how.” She gave him a wink as she started for Hazel’s stall. “So...can I ask you so
mething?”

  “Sure. What’s on your mind, sugar?” He kept pace with her as she moved to the end of the stable and collected a blanket and saddle.

  “I was just wondering what you thought about the idea the guys proposed last night about starting an adventure ranch. I mean, now that you’ve had more time to think about it...and the guys aren’t here looking at us with those eager puppy eyes they had last night.”

  Roy laughed. “They were pretty pleased with themselves and keen on their idea, weren’t they?”

  “But will it work?”

  Roy widened his stance and folded his arms across his chest. “Welp, hard to say.”

  She arched an eyebrow and shot him a hard look. “Come on, Roy. Don’t equivocate with me. I want your honest opinion.”

  He pursed his mouth for a second, then said calmly, “Don’t know that ten-dollar college word you just said, but you know I always shoot straight.”

  “I do. That’s why I’m asking you. Besides the fact you probably know more about this ranch than anyone else, my father included, I know I can trust you to give me the truth. How bad are things for the ranch? Are we really hurting that bad, business-wise?”

  “Your daddy’s in a better position to talk money with you, but—” He nodded. “The herd’s taken a hit. When we go to market in a few weeks, we’re lookin’ at probably a thirty to thirty-five percent cut from last year.”

  “Thirty-five percent?” Her chest squeezed. That sort of herd loss was bleak. “How? Why?” Her father had always been such a savvy businessman, and she knew her brothers had been good students of the ranching industry, learning everything their father and Roy had to impart. This downturn baffled her, and she was sick to her stomach knowing the worry her family had been dealing with, unbeknownst to her.

  “Fewer calves survived this spring, then we lost several head to the poisoning.”

  She stiffened her back as a fresh wave of outrage washed through her. “Zane and Josh mentioned that yesterday. Someone tainted the pond in one of the grazing pastures? They said it was probably vandalism, but...my God! Who would do such a thing? And why?”